I am Cocoa's Mom: 80 + Santa's Sleigh Treat Boxes

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

80 + Santa's Sleigh Treat Boxes - Check!

Fifty or so report cards due to be carried home in little Kindergarten backpacks midway through December meant that I never had time to craft any of the cute treat holders that land in my Pinterest feed. How I longed to make the Peppermint Patty snowmen or the Santas with candy filled dangling legs for all my Kinders!

When I retired, I began a new tradition - The Great Pre-Christmas Craftathon and this is my third season of treat making for friends, co-workers and the OHM children. : ) : ) : ) This year I really, really wanted to make a sleigh containing chocolates and candy and here it is!

And here are my Notes To Self on mass production treat crafting with the Explore!

* Keep the container simple. There are some beautiful sleigh svgs available with wonderfully ornate runners. Choose a relatively simple design like the one I used this year from Lori Whitlock. The runners are glued on the side of the sleigh body rather than supporting it from underneath. Much easier to mass produce!

* Choose a design that does not waste paper even though there may be extra construction steps. Since the sleigh side pieces are separate from the body, I could get 3 small sleighs from one sheet of 12x12 card stock. Gluing the pieces together was easy and worth the paper I saved.

* Choose a design that 'ungroups' in order to save yourself from the work of eliminating pieces by using the 'hide contour' button. I liked using different patterned paper for the body of the sleigh and this was very easy to do by changing the color on the Design Space canvas.

* Do not try to cut ALL the pieces at once. My browser/router/DS/computer configuration does not like me to make more than 9 project copies so I go back and re-cut a mat as many times as needed by clicking on its icon and making 9 at a time.

* Add embellishments punched from scraps of paper and don't forget the MISTI for stamping the sentiment.